Manufacture of coat hangers



May26, 1936. WQACKER 2,041,805

MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 23, 1955 13 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WILL/AM BACKEI? BY 2 N1 l ATT RNEY 'May 26, 1936. w. BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 25, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W/L/AM BACKER w. BACKER L MANUF AGTURE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 25, '1955 15 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR w/ L /AM BACKER ATTRNEY May 26, 1936. v w. BACKER 2,041,805

MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 25, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR W/Ll. [AM BACKfR v A ORNEY May 26, 1936. w. BACKER 7 2,041,805

MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS v Filed Nov. 23; 1935 13 Sheets$heet 5 INVENTOR WILL/AM BACKER AT RNEY- y 1936. w. BACKER 2,041,805

MANUFACTURE OF COAT.HANGERS' Filed Nov. 23, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet 6 mumu l |l|||||||| INVENTOR WILL/AM BACKER ATT RN EY y 6, 1936. w. BACK'ER 2,041,805

I MANUFACTI JRE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 23, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet 8 VIIIlI/IIIIIlIl/III INVENTOR WILL/AM HACKER v N BY ATORNEY May 26, 1936.,

mmws I W. HACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Fil ed Nov. 23, 1935 1:3 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR WILLIAM BACKER y 1936- A w. BACKER 2,041,805

MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS' Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet 1O INVENTOR I WILL/AM BA CKER y 25, 1936. w. BACKIER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet 11 INVENTOR WILL/AM BAG/(ER May 2, 1936. W. BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-$heet 12 lNVENTOR I w/u 1AM HACKER May 26, 1936. w. BACKER MANUFACTURE OF COAT HANGERS Filed Nov. 23, 1935 13 Sheets-Sheet 15 \NVENTOR W/L [AM BACKER AT O'RNEY Patented May 26, 1936 UNlTED srA'rss PATENT orrics MAN'UFAETURE F @OAT HANGERS William Backer, Schenectady, N. "r.

Application November 23, 1035, Serial No. 51,200 7 i0 Glaims." 01. 140-71) This invention relates to the manufacture of garment hangers, particularly those of the type covered in Patent 2,023,392 of December 3,1935.

Special objects of the invention are to accomplish the manufacture of such hangers rapidly and economically.

Other objects and the novel features and combinations of the new method are set forth or will appear in the course of-the following specification. r

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate preferred steps of the method and present preferred details of the machine, but it will be understood that both method and mechanism may be modified in various ways, all within the true intent and broadscope of the invention. I Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating somewhat diagrammatically various stages in the manufacture of the hanger.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of one of the completed hangers.

Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof the machine.

Fig. 4 is a broken side elevation, showing the front of the machine including the mechanism for effecting the first stage of operations.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the left handside of the machine where the second set of operations are accomplished.

Fig. 6 is a broken side elevation of the back of the machine where the third set of operations are accomplished.

Fig. '1 is alike view of the right hand end of the machineillustrating the mechanism for the fourth and final set of operations.

a Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional and broken pla view as on substantially the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 4, illustrating in particular details of drive gearing.

Fig. 9 is a broken part sectional view substantially as 'on the plane of line 9-9, Fig..,'illnstrating particularly transfer of the cut -wires to the operating turret.

Fig. 10 is a broken ,part sectional. detail of.

these parts, substantially as on the plane of line Ill-Ill of Fig. 9. Q

Fig. 11 is a view generally similar to Fig.- 9, showing the first set of benders as having folded lining dies on the face of the turret.

the ends of the wire up over the shoulderout- Figs. .12 and 13 are broken sectional details of the transfer mechanism for carrying the single wires from the cut-off station over to the face of the turret.

.the fourth station Fig. 14 is a broken part sectional detail ona larger, scale of the mechanism for-lowering the out length down onto the transfer slide.

Fig. 15 is a broken view of the top bender and the welder as they appg ar facing the turret. Fig. 16 is a broken p rt sectional detail of the opposite side of the welder showing the welding clamps in the act of applying welding pressure to the wire ends.

Figs. 1 and 18 are broken part sectional details illustrating the welder open positions respectively.

Fig. 19 is a broken sectional detail'of the welding clamps or jaws and guides for the wire ends as on substantially the plane of line i9-i9 of Fig. 17.

Figs. 20 and 21 are broken sectional views of the wire clamping and twisting mechanism, showjaws in closed and' ing the twister head in raised and lowered positaken as on the plane of line 23-23 01' Fig. 21

and showing in particular the rack mechanism for raising andv lowering and for rotating the twister.

Figs. 24 and 25 are face views of the hook former inthe starting and finishing positions.

Fig. 26 is a broken sectional view as on substantially the plane of line 26-26 of Fig. 25.

Fig. 27- is a face view of-the base or cam portion of the hook'former and Fig. 28 is a similar view of the rotating member of the hook former. Fig. 29 is a broken sectional view of parts at of the machine, ason generally the plane of line 29-29 of Fig. 3. and showing in addition to the oscillating gripper for taking 011 thefinished hangers. Fig. 29a. is a broken sectional detaiLof a slightly modified form of gripper mechanism. Fig. 30 is a broken part sectional view of the gripper mechanism of the gripper and other parts as seen looking directly toward the face of the turret.

Fig. 31 is. a broken vertical sectional view of I the hook forming. mechanism,

The wire I, advancing at the left, is cut off in predetermined lengths 2, and these are transferred one at a time over to a first, bending and looping station, where the two ends of the wire are bent up as the sides of a triangle and the longer end, shown at the right, is bent down to meet the other end and there welded to the latter at 3, to form a continuous unitary triangular loop.

In the machine here disclosed, these triangle forming and welding operations are effected on one vertical face of a four-sided turret and on the completion of such operations, the turret turns to carry the triangular loop to a second station.

At the second station, the sides of the triangular loop are bent in to produce the shoulder forming portions 4, of the hanger and to bring those parts a which formed the apex of the triangle into' the close lying parallel relation shown at 5, forming an upwardly projecting double stranded stem or shank having a looped, rounded upper end.

In succeeding stages, the doubled shank or stem portion is bent to form a hook and is twisted at the base of this hook. The order of these steps may vary, that is, the twisting be effected before the hook is formed.

Actually, in the machine illustrated, the turret turns to a third station and there the parallel strands are twisted at the base at 6, approximately one and three-quarter turns and finally at a fourth station, the doubled, looped upper end of the stem is bent into the form of a supporting hook with the two strands of the same parallel to and overstanding the shoulder portions of the hanger.

The bringing of the ends of the wire together and securing them thus to form a continuous loop, gives the stock a certain rigidity and strength, causing it to hold its shape and greatly facilitating the subsequent bending and forming operations. Also this eliminates any loose or projecting ends to deal with in the subsequent forming and finishing of the article.

As appears particularly in Fig. 2, the weld is preferably located so as to come in the twisted neck of the hook where it is to an extent sunk between adjoining turns and protected thereby, but it is within contemplation of the invention that the weld or other form of joint be located elsewhere, for example, in the spreader bar portion at the bottom of the hanger, beneath one of 'the shoulder forming portions.

Operation of the machine illustrated may be understood by consideration first of the driving train shown in Fig. 8. There a motor 8, is indicated driving through belt or silent chain connections 9, a shaft l0, carrying a pinion H, in

mesh with gear l2, on an intermediate shaft |3,

driving through gears l4, a horizontal shaft l5,

. which at one end drives an upright shaft l6,

through bevel gearing l1, and at the opposite end through bevel gearing l8, operates a horizontal shaft I9, parallel with the front of the machine. The upright shaft l6 at the back of the machine drives through bevel gearing 26, at its upper end, Fig. 3, a horizontal cam shaft 2|, at, the back of the machine andthe shaft l9 through bevel gearing 22, Fig. 4, operates an upright shaft 23, which through bevel gearing 24, drives a horizontal cam shaft 25, at the front of the machine. The latter through bevel gearing 26, Figs. 3 and 4, drives a horizontal shaft 21, which is connected by gearing 28, to the upper and lower cooperating sets of wire feeding A hand wheel 39, Figs. '7 and 8, enables the shaft II], to be rotated manually, for setting up the machine and the like, and a clutch 40, on the shaft l0, controlled from a slide rod 4|, through lever and link connections 42, 43, enables the machine to be stopped and started at will, without recourse to the motor switch.

With the form of wire feed shown, the cooperating upper and lower sets of rolls 29, 30, Figs. 3, 4 and. 32, run continuously, but are separated intermittently by a cam 44, on shaft 21, coacting with roll 45, on lever 46, connected by link 41, with a rocker 48, overstanding and arranged to depress the lever 49, bearing on the spring supported journal box 50, of one lower feed roll, the other roll 30, also being mounted in a spring supported journal box 5|, arranged to be depressed by a lever 52, acted on by the first lever 49.

The cam 44 is timed to separate the feed rolls approximately at the instant the wire reaches the by a knife 54, Fig. 32, shown as reciprocating vertically across the end of the wire guide 55, and actuatedthrough a connection at its upper end at 56, with the cam lever 46. This same cam lever has an additional function in that through a' connection at 51, with a link 58 it serves to rock a bell crank 59, connected through horizontally reciprocating link 60, with other similar bell cranks, 6|, 62, Figs. 9 and 14, the horizontal arms of these bell cranks all connected with a vertically operating slide bar 63, mounted in a supporting and guide structure 64, over the cut length of wire.

For supporting the cut wire full.length, the rods or wires 65, 65, are mounted at opposite sides of the wire feed channel 66, Fig. 14, in yielding seats 67, so that they will spread relatively, under downward push of the slide bar 63, to pass the cut length down into position on a step 68 on the wire feeding slide 69. Actually, the channel 66 may be deep enough to contain two or three, or more out lengths of wire, above the feed slide and, in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, the structure is such as to accommodate a total of four out lengths includ-' ing that one on the stepof the feed slide. One

or any number of spring pressed detents 10, may be provided for resiliently holding the cut lengths in place and for separating the length in the bottom of the channel from those above it.

The wire length which is released to the feed slide is held in the recess or seat at the front edge of that slide by a hooked detent or dog N, Fig. 12, which, as the slide reaches the adjoining face of the turret 12, Fig. 13, strikes against and is depressed by an inclined abutment 13, located in a recess 14, in the face of the turret. The

rocking detent ll remains in this releasing posiing a circumferentinl well 85'.

detent rides under the overstam r guide straw-=- ture Ct -and rocks the detent back tothe retainin g position where, as shown in Fig. 12, it is then held by the sprlne'piunger Mo, acting on the op posite face of the detent holding c It.

The reciprocating oae or feed slide 8t, ss

The feed slide it is shown in Figs. 9 and ii, es

having side wing extension 8i, 82, for supper-ti the relatively short and long and over the longer support it, there is provided a. gage well it, wn in Fig. 3, or substantially in line with the toes of the turret tend es omzulsr r disposedwolls it end 8t --io'rm' ords for the longer ends oi the wires or theyrebent up later described end assist in keepinn It hending end' portiolis in line with the face oi the tt. fIn odvonoine to the adjoining ioce oi the titrret as described, the out shoulder forming dies to, at, on the toes of the turret, Fig. 11 end st s time when the shoulder sting with opposite sides of the closing movement forming benders tt tt sre lowered below the wire trsnsier-poth, es in Fin. 9. These sens rotntins screen the toes of the ere enrrled loy shafts ti, journelled in the sides oi the turret end providedet the inner feces oi these side wells with pinions ht, stressed by the seer sesments it, pivoted til; it, end hnvine e rter oppositely extending seer ism iii, cooper donhle, verticnliy sliding recite it, Figs. 3 ond'tt. These dcnhle reeks operete in verticsl guides it, in the tnrret sides end cerry st theirlower ends inwnr 1 pro jeotirin rolls t l, riding in the stntio t com troch tit, shout the bottom oi the tnrret, to end ti,

At the second end ioiirth ststions oi the turret,

. thot in, st the'lei't end rinht' hood Tet oi the turret in his... 3;, the stationery coin trneir hit is interrupted to st slides which receire the melt rolls it end import in thehrst instonee, n inrther to the tende cies; end, in the second instnnoo, o reverse openinn'movement oi the hendeis to reieoee the eonopietetl trtiele from the inn-eti- The portion eppeorinn st the left in i ina ii, is on n plone i'nhen throiidli the resend or left hnnd sto'tion end is view'j'shpws siide, to, ope-rotting verticoiip eroes. the. thesis th end hnvinw n short cn inttrecir ten. 1 tin, reeeivinit the reels her eonii enlist." in

eve nest member thned toeiieet itf tiirther closing in movement oifthe tenders second tto'tion, eiter snehiinotement' in listed law o resend set oliinsidersth inter deserihed, i

v The slide nt'the ionrth stetion tor eileetinn the opening oi the primers henders is shown ,nt tit, l ies. 29 end so, hnvinn n time tit, receiving the rnch roh it end ndnpted to he pulled down hyrod ltii, lite; ii, oheroted tooeh lever iili,. iron-i the son hit on the lower front cent shttit it, v v

hiss. it end 3t show how the hendinn'n it, carry the end portions oi the wire up over all arod the shoulder formers ti, end how the cooperetlno, concentrically convex portions st When these i i.

ends of the wire which project beyond the ends. oi the turret it.

wire posses beneath the ineri depressed i by spring ti, nsninst re cent til, top dithe'ihen the i one per shaped conceive end formers set the wire inwardly in the form of inwardly curved shoulders Ill, 2, for settling and holding the garment in piece on the hopper,

The inwerd dips thus pressed in the shoulder peril of the hnnser would corry the ends of the wire inrther then desired in producing the trisngnier formation shown storied in Fin. ii. To restrain end hold the free ends sssinst such movement, stops int, are provided on the ends oi srms lit, which as shown in Fig. 3, one swung to eiirrs the stops in position in iront oi the wire and retracted to clear them or the. wire and the turret, after. the bending operations it this first station. As shown in er"; ill, the srins lit, ere

sg' inward toward th turret bv'spr pressed dog's idl, on the trnnsverse slide engaging rollers mt, on the hill. in the inwnrd movement of the slide end the retraction of the to or by the sp s s itt es the slide retients.

e movement of the bender ht, irorn the is eii'ected position shown in his. 9, to thnt in Wis. it. t, till 1 ficlent to costs the end portions oi the e on r over the shoulder ioers M, for smooth to prodnce e. snbsttislly w it iii i li when the on of the wire ore Joined tosetiier. ere the joint is mode in the leit hnndside oi the tritie, in t ililistrntion, the ht end 13- tion oi the wire is ieit lone enough to he hent do over s top snide Whomd to then reeeh the shorter left hond e portion of the wire.

:"lhe eondition prior to bending the lonner upper portion down into engagement with the shorter end portion is illustrnted in his ii.

With'the ports in siich relstion, it top der iii,

t les, 3, i, "I end it, cmried by theft iii, rotst- 1 ehiy end siidohlv mounted in the hen iilh hnediy supported com roll, throneh the instill-tint of com till, on the shsit rotetes in one direc tion, hes the sheet oi edveneinn the top hender iii, toword the force oi the tiirret.,.-hotdinn it therewhile this hendor'tnrns the npwordlw pro ieotinw. endoi the wire over the top snide Elli, down snhotnntinlln into shirt-merit with the tower ind oi thewire his, iii, end then no the thins revs-reels, the sheet oi retroctins the to remove the hender oi the turret, i its the ends or the wire ore hronnht together into n eohsnlein trienn'nior loop, in; tending from irons the indexing teeth the his, ii in the it position, they ere se cored he at si hetnntioih instnntnneoos hntt weld. in operntion odmted he the ihstrentolities shown pnrtieiilnrls in Fine, 3, lend it to it, end

eoinpiislns weidino eisnips whieh grip the wire ends end then press them together on the weld= in oor-rent is thrown on.

the two welding clontps ore shine in thnt the r set eoch oi reietively hired end movnhie inws iii, iiiii, .inonnted on enrrie te tit, sliding in e snide ltd; townrd end owns irons the turret tsee. "Eire movnhie weldinn intro tit, ere ili0 i3ti= rleti hi; levers lit, pivoted'on the fired glows ot the, his, it end hostile rollers lit, to enizeee pivoted sprin s pressed ohntments til, on the inner feces oi the turret side wells. These wells ore out out or'riotched ns indieoted st lit,

l to ot the welding stomps into the plnne oi the it wire and to relatively center the jaws and the wire. The fixed jaws are shown as carrying guides I29, having the inwardly convergent wire entrances I30. The movable Jaws are acted on by jaw opening springs I3I, Fig. 1'7, so that the jaws stand open as in Fig. 18, as they approach the wire ends and the movable Jaws close down over thewire, as the wire is centered by the convergent guides I30, inrespect to the fixed jaws. The spring pressed abutments I21, serve to hold the clamping jaws closed under yielding spring force, allowing for unevenness or variations in the size of the wire.

At approximately the time the welding clamps obtain a firm grip on the wire ends, a cam I32, Figs. 3 and 4, on the front cam shaft 25, operates a switch I33, to throw on current through the welding transformer I34, which has suitable electrical connections I35, Fig. 15, with the two welding clamps.

Pressure is applied during the actual welding of the wire ends by the means shown particularly in Fig. 16, and comprising a spring I36, acting on the leverage extension I31, of one of the welder clamps which is pivotally supported at I 38, so that under the force of this spring, it may move toward the other welder clamp. This pressure becomes effective however, only after the tail of the lever I31 has passed inward over the supporting roller I39, Fig. 16 and a recess I40, in that lever has come into register with a cam faced spring actuated holding dog I. The incline of this dog and the force of this spring I42, which holds it up into position, together with the shape and position of slot I40, determine the timing and effect of this welding pressure.

As the welder is retracted, the movable welding jaws spring open to clear the connected wire and in order that these open jaws will not interfere with the indexing of the turret they are closed again in the extreme outer position of. the welder by the tailsof the movable jaw levers I24, contacting with properly positioned stops I 43, Fig. 1'7. The advancing and retracting movements of the welder are effected in the illustration from cam I44, on shaft I25, operating a lever I45, connected by links I46, withthe outer end of the welder slide I23, Figs. 3 and '1.

After the operations described of transferring a wire to the turret. bending the ends of the wire up over shoulder formers on the face of the turret and then bringing the ends of the wire together and butt welding them in a triangular formation, the turret is indexed, righthandedly in Fig. 3, to carry the triangular loop of wire to the second bending and forming station, at the left in this view and appearing in elevation in Fig. 5.

Opposite the face of the turret at the second station are a pair of "opposed levers I41, pivoted at I40, and having connected to their lower ends links I49, shackled to a head I50, on the upper end of 'a vertically extending rod I5I, connected at its lower end by linkage I52, to a cam lever I53, which is oscillated by a cam I54, on the front lower cam shaft I9. The arms or levers I41, carry at their upper ends the bending dies' I55, which come in over the face of the turret and are shaped to break in the upwardly convergent sides or apex of the triangle into the form illustrated at the upper left in Fig. 1, der forming portions of the hanger completed at 4, and the double strand looped shank or stem 5, rising from the neck portion of the hanger. In the illustration, these bending dies I55, Fig. 5, have the inwardly angled portions I56, to carry with the shoul-.

the wire in closely over the neck shaping formers I51, on the face of the turret and above that the opposed straight edge portions I58, to bring the strands of the doubled stem into close, substantially abutting parallel relation. 5

. The top guide IIO, serves as a former for the apex of the triangle and is yieldingly supported so as to permit the wire ends to be forced together in the welding operation and so as to permit the folding in of the sides of the triangle as last described.

In the illustration, Figs. 3, 5, '7, 11, the wire guiding and forming pin H0, is shown slidingly mounted in a block I59, supported by spring I60, in a vertical guide slot I6I, in the wall of the turret and as having a transverse lug or roll I62, at the rear riding in a cam track I63, which will automatically withdraw the pin from within the loop as the wire is drawn down in breaking in the sides of the triangle. The tip of the form ing pin may be rounded off as indicated to enable the loop at the tip of the triangle to fold in smoothly and form a clean smoothly rounded bend for the tip of the hook, as illustrated at I64,

in Figs. 1 and 12. When the collapsing loop of wire releases the forming pin IIO, the latter is returned-automatically to the upper position by its supporting spring I60.

After the arms I41, at the second station bend in the sides of the triangular loop into the final 3 shoulder and neck forming positions of the hanger, or as a part of that bending operation, the first set of benders 86, are folded inward from the position shown in Fig. 11, to that indicated in Fig. 5, by the means previously described and 6 comprising the slide 96, Fig. 31, operated by cam 06, to lift the double rack 92, and swing the bender arms 06, fully inward over the upper surfaces of the shoulder forming dies 65.

As the turret indexes to the next, third station, illustrated at the right hand side of Fig. 31, the first bender rack 92, will be held up by the stationary cam track 95, so that the first set of bender arms will retain and firmly hold the partially formed hanger on the turret face. This cam track 95, serves furthermore to hold these benders in this retaining position during travel from the third station to the fourth, discharge station. After the second set of bending arms I41, open up and provide clearance for turning of the turret, the latter is indexed from the second to the third station, shown at the top in Fig. 3 and more generally in Fig. 6.

In the turning of the turret from the second to the third station. the upper hingedly mounted section I65, of the turret wall is folded inwardly and downwardly as at the left in Fig. 5, to leave the parallel strand shank of the hanger clear for engagement of the twister thereover. The mechanism for this purpose is shown as consisting in each instance, Fig. 3 of a lever I66, pivoted at one end in the turret at I61, pivotally connected at its opposite end by a link I66. with a lug on the back of the folding panel I65, and having a cam roll I 69, in its intermediate portion 65 engaging a stationary cam track I10, at the center of the turret, Fig. 31. The latter is so constituted as to drop back the folding upper panels I65, as the face of the turret passes from the second to the third station and to hold these panels lowered in the continuance of travel from the third to the fourth station and finally to raise the panels to the vertical upstanding relation in the travel from the fourth back to the first position, as will be understood from Fig. 3. The

ill

actress hinges on which these folding panels turn are i ted at ill, in Fig. 5, and in outline these panels or upper extensions of the turret walls may be of generally triangular shape, so as to form only the necessary guiding surfaces for the upwardly turned ends of the wires being bent to the triangular formation indicated in Fig. ill. The top former pins lid, and the mechanism for yleldingly supporting and automatically retracting the same are carried by and mounted on these folding sections of the turret side walls.

The twister consists in the machine illustrated oil a Shaft or arbor ill. Figs 20 and 23, havlng a bevelled entrance ill, for the rounded upper end of the double strand sh, a short cylindrical cavity ill, for the twist to be formed in the shank and a long flat bore ill, to receive and grip the strands in their closely doubled parallel relation. This twisting'element is rotatably confined in a raising and lowering sleeve l'lt, by an ular flange ill, at the lower end of the element'and a pinion tilt, at the upper end of the so. This sleeve tilt is confined in a vertical bearing lit and has a rack. let, in one side of the same engaged by gear llll, carrying a pinion ill, engaged by horizontal rack tilt. The latter is actuated through linkage it, Fig. 5, from a til lit

all

tilt

- heslneshed the gear till,

lever ltd, operated irom cam its, on the back cam shaft i, Fig. 3.

-The rotary movement of the twisteris olotalned from a cam till, on the same cam shai't ll, operating a lever its, connected by linkage lltl, with horizontal raclr tell, in engagement with a pinion ill, carrying a gear tall, to mesh with pinion ill, on the upper end of the twister shalt.

t'lllhile the twister is operating the base of the doulole strand shanlr is preferably held by a clamp ltll, ltlgs. 2d and 2t, slotted at ltd, to receive the two strands and to hold them against a cornpanionahutrnent piece 95, on; the upper edge oi theiiuted' portion oi the turret wall. The folding panel. part of the wall is suitably recessed as indicated at tilt, Figs. 9 and ii, to pass this shut scent clamp. a

M the turret finishes it turning movement to luring the shank of the l nger hlanlr beneath the twister, the holding clamp its, is advanced lay the ,raols ill, which carries it, through linkage lllll, 5,, connected lever llllhoper atoll hylxarn litlll, onait ll, 3, and ti,

llhe parts are usueily so tinted that as the champ toil, so, comes in to grip the doubled strand shanir, thetwisting shalt ill, will come straight down over the Isllanls and then approm insately as it reaches the lower end or its stroke and the pinion ill on the upper and ot the same v his 23, the reels: till), will rotate the gears to term the twist indicated in all s lilac purpose or giving the douhle strand shanlr hactlonal turn-oneand thrce oaarter turns tilt in the illustration, is to leave the two strands twisted at a right angle with respect to the gen eral plane of the hanger, suhstantially asin dictated in the uppcrright hand portion, Fig. l. ".lc pcrinit'this operation and to return the twister head hack to its initial position; the

twisting shalt tilt, is shown as having a straight vertical groove ltl, ll lg. so, receiving the ste .tlonary guide pin llllll, and a parallel approxtely utter turn displaced cam groove 2%, the two coected at the npmr ends by the com plete annular groove the, and connected at the lower ends by a short inclined groove see, The

raising and lowering sleeve l'lt, has a vertical slot 206, passing the shank of the guide stud 202, so that the latter serves as a key to prevent the rack sleeve l'lt from turning. In the downward movement, the guide stud 2M by its engagement 5 in the long vertical groove 2M, holds the twister shaft lined up to properly engage down over the parallel strands of the hanger shank. At the bottom of this movement, as the annular portion 2M reaches the guide pin 2%, the twister shaft is free to be turned to impart the necessary twist to the shank. Then as the twisting is completed, with the two strands turned out of the plane of the hanger, the other so-called quarter turn groove 2%, registers with the guide pin 202, permitting the twister element to be raised in this approximately quarter turn position and then as the upper position is approached, after letting go of the end of the shank, the inclined portion ass, 01' the groove turns the twister shaft hacls into its initial position, ready for the next operation.

as the turret turns from the third to the fourth station appearing at the right in Fig. 3 and shown in detail in Figs. 7, 29 and 30, the upstandin twisted shank comes into line with a hook.

ward the turret and over the face of which there rotates a plate 2th, carrying a relatively large so and more nearly central hook forming stud 209, and a smaller slidlngly mounted bending stud Bill, The rotating plate tilt, is carried by a shaft Eli, which passes rotatably through the head toll, and this head is fixed on the inner end of a guide rod Ella, sliding in a bracket lit. The shaft til has spllned on it a pinion till, Fig. 3, engaged by gear lit, carrying a pinion 2th, engaged by a horizontal rack lit, connected by a turnbuckle till, with lever go till, operated from earn ill, on the hack cam shalt ll,

The protecting and retracting movements of the hoot: lorming shalt till, are accomplished from a earn 2%, on shaft ll, operating a lever till, connected by turnhucltle limit 222, with one arm cl a hell cranlr are, the opposite arm of which has a rotatahle connection at ltd, with the outer end of shalt ll ll.

, the hoolring head advances toward the tur= to rot, spaced guides ill), at the lower part oi the head pass tofoppositesides at the lease of the twisted chants and the straight parallel portions oi the chants enter edgcwise as in Fig, 2a, hetween the internal hooh heading tocr its, as and an external leachingand-iornilng stud Then as the shaft 'turns right-handedly to the Fig. 25 position, the internal hook former tlill, hecause oi its eccentric dispositlonfwill three the host; strands to the left over the hach- 1 inc; stud tilt, and the smaller external forming roller in travelling to the right will roll the strands down around the internal member, fin ishing the strands in the parallel hools forming relation shown in Fig. 25. us

The hoclsiorming roll till, is shown as flanged at to confine and hold the parallel strands and the radial position of this roll is accom-= piished and controlled by mounting it on a slide ltd, operating in a radial gulde lltl, in the rosame as at 232,\Figs. 25 and 27, so that the flanged bending roll 2l0 may quickly clear the tip of the hook upon completing its bending movement. In order that this relief may be quite sudden, the slide 228, which carries the roll is shown as having a control projection 233, for cooperation with an abutment 234, and having an abruptly angled side adapted to snap past this abutment when the position shown in Fig. 25 is reached. The parts are so related that just prior to the cam roll 230 reaching the relief 232, the control lug 233, will come in register with the abutment 234, to thus hold the slide and prevent .the cam roll taking advantage of the relief until after the abrupt shoulder of lug 23 passes the similarly abrupt shoulder of the holding abutment 234, whereupon, with the c am roll in the widened part ofthe cam track, the slide will snap out as in Fig. 25, to clear the flanged roll of the just completed hook.

This quick relief movement is aided and largely accomplished by springs 235, Fig. 28, acting against a thrust bar 236, to force the bending roll slide outwardly.

After the hook forming mechanism has accomplished its purpose, it is retracted clear of the hook and the rotary parts of the same turned back to the initial position shown in Fig. 24. In turning back, the control lug 233, which has slipped past the control abutment 234, Fig. 25, operates as a detent to rock the abutment about its center of support 231, against the tension of spring 238.

The completed hanger is removed from the side of the turret by transfer mechanism consisting in the machine illustrated of gripper arms 239, on rock shaft 240, Figs. 29, 30, having a pinion 24l, engaged by a vertical reciprocating rack 242, operated from lever 243a, Fig. 8, which lever is rocked by a cam 242a; on the lower front cam shaft 19. The gripper mechanism is shown as consisting in each instance of a pair of gripper jaws 243, 244, pivoted on the gripper arms at 245, 246, the first having an outer position fixed by a stop screw 241, and the second pressed toward the first by a closing spring 248. The

. inner jaws 244, are shown as notched at 249,

to take the lower "spreader bar portion of the hanger and the upper or outer jaws are shown as inclined at 250, to pass over the spreader bar and cause the latter to wedge open the lower inner jaws as in Fig. 29. Stop screws 25l, determine the upper, hanger taking position of the grippers.

Slightly before or at the time the grippers take .hold of the hanger, the slide 99, Fig. 29, which at such time has received the cam roll 94, of the first bender operating rack is lowered by cam I02, Fig. 8, to open up these benders as indicated in Fig. 30, so as to release the completed hanger from the internal forming and shaping structure on the face of'the turret. Consequently, the hanger is free to be lifted off by the transfer grippers. The path of removal is indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 29. In practice, the gripper jaws may be positively closed to firmly hold the hanger in a definite angular relation, for instance, so that the hook I, of the same will trail back sufilciently to engage and ride down over the inwardly projecting end of a supporting rail or rod 252, Figs. 3

and 29. The means for such purpose are shown as stationary cam tracks 253, in the paths of rollers 254, on the inner movable gripper jaws 244. To positively open the jaws toward the end of the removal stroke, these movable laws may be opened by the abutments 255, thereon, riding over the jaw opening inclines 256, Fig. 29. The structure shown in Fig. 29a differs from that described, in that the jaws 244' are mounted for sliding movement in the gripper arms 239'.

To definitely displace the spreader bar portion from the notches 249, in the grippers, substantially U-shaped springs such as indicated at 251, may be interposed between the companion jaws, which as the inner jaws are open as indicated at the bottom in Fig. 29, will lift the bar out of these notches. Guards or guides such as indicated at 258, in Fig. 29, may be provided for directing the hangers oil the turret to the supporting or receiving station.

The turnbuckles 2H and 222, Fig. 3, in the linkage to the hook forming devices, enable the making of adjustments that may be desirable or necessary to set the double strands of the hook to the desired conformation: Similarly, the adjustment provided at 259, Figs. 3 and 5, in the linkage for'the shank, twisting operation, permits surficient turn being given the shank to set the parallel strands in the desired position, that is, in a plane at right angles to the general plane of the hanger.

By performing the operations in successive stages, the mechanism is kept relatively light and simple, complications are avoided and high production is attained. The first, shoulder forming benders are carried by the turret and are utilized as means for holding the partly formed hanger charging devices are all located off at the sides of the turret in position to operate on the blank, as

soon as the turret brings the blank around to that particular station. These operations may thus be distributed according to time required, to effect a proper balance and to save any waste of time. Aside from a proper distribution of power, this speeds up production and has other advantageous effects. A hanger is completed and discharged at each indexing of the turret. The turret sides may be faced oif smoothlyto serve as a back guide for the wire, the bending devices vwhich operate over these faces being grooved or shouldered as indicated at 260, to grip the wire.

While of particular importance in the manufacture of wire coat hangers, it will be realized that the invention is of broad scope. The terms employed herein therefore have been used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense and are to be so construed, except possibly as limitations may be imposed by state of the prior art.

" I claim: l

1. The herein disclosed method of forming coat hangers, which comprises uniting the ends of a length of wire in a continuous endless loop,

-form the wire in a continuous endless loop, bending in the sides of said continuous loop to form the shoulder portions or the hanger and a doubled portion projecting from said shoulder portions, twisting said doubled portion at its junction with the shoulder portions and bending said doubled portion beyond said twist into the form of a double supporting hook.

3 The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bringing the ends of a length of wire together and uniting them to form a continuous endless wire loop, shaping said continuous wire loop in shoulder forming por tions connected by a doubled shank portion and bending and twisting said doubled shank portion into the form of a supporting hook having a twisted connection with said shoulder portions.

4. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises doubling a length of wire into parallel closely adjoining portions connected by a bend, hooking and twisting said doubled portions and as steps in the method, connecting the ends of the wire together and bending parts of the wire below the twisted part into shoulder forming portions connected across the bottom by a spreader portion.

5. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bringing the ends of a length of wire together and butt welding the same to form a continuous endless loop, doubling portions of said loop together into closely adjoining strands connected by a rounded bend, at one stage in the manufacture, shaping the rest of the endless loop into shoulder forming portions connected across the bottom by a continuous integral spreader portion and, in the course of the complete method twistingthe closely adjoining doubled portions together at the junction with the shoulder forming portions and. bending said doubled portions into the shape of a. supporting hook.

6. The hereindisclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises permanently se-= curing the ends of a length of wire together to form a continuous endless loop, doubling and twisting the doubled portions at said joint and at one stage in the operations bending the doubled portions into a supporting'hoolr.

'2. lihe herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bending a length of wire into generally triangular shape and connect ing the ends of the wire in that shape to form a continuous endless triangular loop, bending to gether the opposite sides at the apex of the triangular loop to form a double strand stem portion rising from shoulder portions connected across the bottom by a spreader portion, twisting said parallel portions at their juncture with the 5 shoulder forming portions and then bending said parallel portions above said twisted part into the shape of a supporting hook.

8. e herein disclosed method of harming; a coat hanger, which comprises shaping a length 0 of wire in triangular form with the ends abutting and welding or similarly securing said abutted ends in said triangular loop formation, breaking in adjoining sides of said triangular loop to the shape of shoulder forming portions connected 15 across the bottom by a spreader portion and closely adjoining substantially parallel portions rising from said shoulder portions and connected at the top by a rounded bend and then shaping said closely adjoining substantially parallel por- 20 tions intoa double hook having a twisted neclr portion.

'9. The herein disclosed method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises shaping a length of wire in triangular form with the ends abutting 25 and welding or similarly securing said abutted ends in said triangular loop formation, breaking in adjoining sides of said triangular loop to the shape of shoulder forming portions connected across the bottom by a spreader portion and so closely adjoining substantially parallel portions rising from said shoulder portions and connected at the top by a rounded bend, twisting said parallel portions at their juncture with the shoulder forming portions and'then bending said connected 35 parallel portions above said twist into the form of a supporting hooh.

lb. The method of forming a coat hanger, which comprises bending a length of wire into the form of a substantially triangular loop and indenting the side portions or said loop near the base of the triangular formation and further bending said triangular loop structure beyond said indented portions into a double strand sup- 45 porting hooiia 

